US7591233B2 - Device for dispensing carbon and/or carbon dioxide, particularly for aquariums - Google Patents

Device for dispensing carbon and/or carbon dioxide, particularly for aquariums Download PDF

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Publication number
US7591233B2
US7591233B2 US10/568,799 US56879906A US7591233B2 US 7591233 B2 US7591233 B2 US 7591233B2 US 56879906 A US56879906 A US 56879906A US 7591233 B2 US7591233 B2 US 7591233B2
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United States
Prior art keywords
water
dispenser
flow
pump
mixing chamber
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Expired - Fee Related, expires
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US10/568,799
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English (en)
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US20080156272A1 (en
Inventor
Carlo Vaccari
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Ferplast SpA
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Ferplast SpA
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Assigned to FERPLAST S.P.A. reassignment FERPLAST S.P.A. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: VACCARI, CARLO
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    • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
    • A01K—ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS
    • A01K63/00—Receptacles for live fish, e.g. aquaria; Terraria
    • A01K63/04—Arrangements for treating water specially adapted to receptacles for live fish
    • A01K63/042—Introducing gases into the water, e.g. aerators, air pumps
    • Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
    • Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
    • Y02P—CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
    • Y02P60/00—Technologies relating to agriculture, livestock or agroalimentary industries
    • Y02P60/60—Fishing; Aquaculture; Aquafarming

Definitions

  • This invention concerns a device for dispensing CO 2 , that is to say carbon or carbon dioxide, which can be fitted in aquariums or containers holding live fish.
  • the invention refers to a device for dispensing carbon dioxide that can be combined with a pumping device for aquariums, able to guarantee and optimise the process of diffusing and dissolving CO 2 particularly useful for the biological equilibrium of the aquarium and for its fertilisation.
  • This invention provides a solution for the correct distribution of carbon inside aquariums, guaranteeing the diffusion of the microbubbles and dissolving them in the water in a much more effective way.
  • the invention can be applied in particular in the industry of products for small pets, with particular reference to the aquarium sector.
  • carbon is one of the most important elements for plants, since it allows them to build support tissues (cellulose is, essentially, a carbon skeleton) and energy reserves (starch, which is a glucose polymer, a sugar) and to have, thanks to photosynthesis, the chemical energy that makes it possible to produce enzymes, proteins and everything else necessary for plant metabolism.
  • cellulose is, essentially, a carbon skeleton
  • energy reserves starch, which is a glucose polymer, a sugar
  • CO 2 in aquariums is also chemical: it helps to stabilise the pH at values below 7, difficult to achieve with other methods, which are at the same time compatible with plant growing (such as, for example, filtration over peat) and long-lasting (like additives for lowering pH values).
  • Carbon can be distributed in aquariums by means of various techniques, always in the gaseous state.
  • the most common method is to dispense amounts of carbon or carbon dioxide directly in the aquarium by using CO 2 cylinders equipped with pressure .gauges, pressure reducers and special water diffusers.
  • the CO 2 bubbles follow a zigzag path, from the bottom upwards. This path ends in a dome-shaped cap which holds the bubbles until they dissolve in the water, preventing them from being lost in the atmosphere.
  • the CO 2 cap consists of a plastic rectangle inside which the CO 2 is accumulated and from which it inevitably escapes and is scattered on the surface.
  • the CO 2 bubble is forced to enter an atomiser, i.e. a system consisting of a plastic cap to be positioned close to the bottom of the aquarium, where it has to pass through a membrane that divides the bubble into lots of microbubbles which rise directly to the surface and scatter.
  • an atomiser i.e. a system consisting of a plastic cap to be positioned close to the bottom of the aquarium, where it has to pass through a membrane that divides the bubble into lots of microbubbles which rise directly to the surface and scatter.
  • This atomiser model does not stand up to high pressures and the device cannot therefore be adjusted to dispense a high number of bubbles per minute.
  • the Co 2 dispenser is sometimes combined with a water delivery pump, but systems ensuring total mixing are not foreseen: the bubbles of gas are not directly struck by the flow of water and/or the microbubbles are not held in the mixing chamber, becoming scattered on the surface, and/or the adjustment of the pump output is dealt with by the user who is unlikely to have the ability to optimise the mixing.
  • This invention proposes to provide a device for dispensing CO 2 in aquariums which is able to eliminate or at least reduce the problems described above.
  • the invention also proposes to provide a device for dispensing CO 2 in aquariums which is easy to produce in order to be economically advantageous.
  • the dispenser according to the invention is the part of the CO 2 system immersed in the water which is designed to guarantee the mixing of the aquarium water and the CO 2 .
  • the dispenser according to the invention substantially comprises a pump with a sponge prefilter, a transparent plastic dispenser body with a 20 ppi sponge and a mesh cover.
  • the CO 2 bubble is split into a number of microbubbles;
  • the system according to the invention presents numerous important advantages, such as:
  • FIG. 1 shows a schematic side view of the overall dispenser according to the invention.
  • FIG. 2 shows a schematic view during its use in the aquarium.
  • the CO 2 dispenser according to the invention substantially consists of a dispenser casing 11 or body, connected to a water pump 12 which is in turn fitted with a sponge prefilter.
  • the dispenser body 11 is made from transparent plastic and is equipped with an inner filtering element 13 , which can consist of a sponge with a consistency of around 20 ppi, this sponge occupying approximately all the lower half ,of the dispenser body, in an area opposite to where the pump 12 is fitted.
  • an inner filtering element 13 can consist of a sponge with a consistency of around 20 ppi, this sponge occupying approximately all the lower half ,of the dispenser body, in an area opposite to where the pump 12 is fitted.
  • the end of the dispenser 11 that is to say the exterior of the part containing the filtering element 13 , can be fitted with a mesh cover 14 .
  • the dispenser 11 is also equipped with a mixing chamber 15 between the sponge 13 and the area where the pump 12 is fitted.
  • the flow delivered by the pump 12 enters an inlet duct 16 positioned horizontally.
  • the upper part of the dispenser body 11 is fitted with the CO 2 injector 17 , which emits quantities of carbon in the gaseous state, that is to say carbon dioxide from a duct 18 connected to a supply cylinder or other source.
  • the flow of water delivered through the inlet duct 16 is substantially at right angles to the CO 2 injector 17 which is instead positioned vertically, with the gas output area close to the water output area.
  • the flow of water from the pump 12 is therefore mixed with the flow of gas delivered by the injector 17 , since the water and gas meet at right angles to each other at the start of the mixing chamber 15 .
  • a turbulent movement is in fact created inside the dispenser chamber 15 , causing the formation of microbubbles which are retained inside the dispenser by the sponge 13 .
  • the dispenser is particularly efficient as the carbon dioxide is dissolved 100%.
  • the system does not require the “activation time” of traditional dispensers, since in the dispenser according to the invention the microbubbles are distributed and mixed in the water right from the start. The particles of carbon are thus dispensed directly in the microbubbles, with all the consequent advantages for plant and animal vitality in the aquarium.

Landscapes

  • Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
  • Environmental Sciences (AREA)
  • Marine Sciences & Fisheries (AREA)
  • Animal Husbandry (AREA)
  • Biodiversity & Conservation Biology (AREA)
  • Farming Of Fish And Shellfish (AREA)
  • Hydroponics (AREA)
  • Carbon And Carbon Compounds (AREA)
US10/568,799 2004-06-29 2005-06-16 Device for dispensing carbon and/or carbon dioxide, particularly for aquariums Expired - Fee Related US7591233B2 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
IT000111A ITVR20040111A1 (it) 2004-06-29 2004-06-29 Dispositivo di erogazione di carbonio e o anidride carbonica particolarmente per acquari
ITVR2004A000111 2004-06-29
PCT/IT2005/000343 WO2006001042A1 (en) 2004-06-29 2005-06-16 A device for dispensing carbon and/or carbon dioxide, particularly for aquariums

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
US20080156272A1 US20080156272A1 (en) 2008-07-03
US7591233B2 true US7591233B2 (en) 2009-09-22

Family

ID=35079246

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
US10/568,799 Expired - Fee Related US7591233B2 (en) 2004-06-29 2005-06-16 Device for dispensing carbon and/or carbon dioxide, particularly for aquariums

Country Status (8)

Country Link
US (1) US7591233B2 (de)
EP (1) EP1686848B1 (de)
JP (1) JP2008504813A (de)
AT (1) ATE415086T1 (de)
DE (1) DE602005011244D1 (de)
ES (1) ES2318509T3 (de)
IT (1) ITVR20040111A1 (de)
WO (1) WO2006001042A1 (de)

Cited By (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20140102309A1 (en) * 2012-10-12 2014-04-17 Pioneer Pet Products, Llc Pet fountain diffuser

Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1183727A (en) 1967-03-25 1970-03-11 Kolfertz Erwin Improvements in Devices for Circulating and Aerating Aquarium Water.
US5158037A (en) * 1988-02-24 1992-10-27 Wilke Engelbart Device for raising aquatic animals
FR2682302A1 (fr) 1991-10-11 1993-04-16 Daraq Sa Procede de dissolution d'un gaz dans un liquide et dispositif pour sa mise en óoeuvre.
US5292431A (en) * 1992-01-20 1994-03-08 Silvestro Romagnoli Pressurized percolating filter of the type used for the regeneration of water in aquariums
DE9405192U1 (de) 1994-03-26 1994-05-19 Meuche, Jürgen, 40699 Erkrath Steuerung der CO 2 - Zufuhr in der Wirbelkammer eines Aquariums
DE20015086U1 (de) 2000-09-01 2002-01-24 Dupla Aquaristik GmbH, 33689 Bielefeld Vorrichtung zur Kohlendioxidversorgung von Wasser
DE202004002243U1 (de) 2004-02-13 2004-04-22 Haack, Jens Vorrichtung zum Anreichern von Wasser mit Kohlendioxid und Kohlensäure
US7244356B2 (en) * 2003-09-30 2007-07-17 Laurent Olivier Autotrofic sulfur denitration chamber and calcium reactor

Family Cites Families (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS5033960B2 (de) * 1973-02-20 1975-11-05
JP3697060B2 (ja) * 1997-11-21 2005-09-21 クリオン株式会社 飼育水槽用濾過装置及び空気拡散部材
JP2000005583A (ja) * 1998-06-25 2000-01-11 Able Kk ガス溶存装置及びガス溶存方法
JP4325973B2 (ja) * 2001-10-31 2009-09-02 有限会社中島工業 水中酸素補給器用気体透過材およびその構造
JP4107571B2 (ja) * 2002-08-13 2008-06-25 株式会社富喜製作所 液体と気体との撹拌混合装置

Patent Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB1183727A (en) 1967-03-25 1970-03-11 Kolfertz Erwin Improvements in Devices for Circulating and Aerating Aquarium Water.
US5158037A (en) * 1988-02-24 1992-10-27 Wilke Engelbart Device for raising aquatic animals
FR2682302A1 (fr) 1991-10-11 1993-04-16 Daraq Sa Procede de dissolution d'un gaz dans un liquide et dispositif pour sa mise en óoeuvre.
US5292431A (en) * 1992-01-20 1994-03-08 Silvestro Romagnoli Pressurized percolating filter of the type used for the regeneration of water in aquariums
DE9405192U1 (de) 1994-03-26 1994-05-19 Meuche, Jürgen, 40699 Erkrath Steuerung der CO 2 - Zufuhr in der Wirbelkammer eines Aquariums
DE20015086U1 (de) 2000-09-01 2002-01-24 Dupla Aquaristik GmbH, 33689 Bielefeld Vorrichtung zur Kohlendioxidversorgung von Wasser
US7244356B2 (en) * 2003-09-30 2007-07-17 Laurent Olivier Autotrofic sulfur denitration chamber and calcium reactor
DE202004002243U1 (de) 2004-02-13 2004-04-22 Haack, Jens Vorrichtung zum Anreichern von Wasser mit Kohlendioxid und Kohlensäure

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20140102309A1 (en) * 2012-10-12 2014-04-17 Pioneer Pet Products, Llc Pet fountain diffuser
US9930867B2 (en) * 2012-10-12 2018-04-03 Pioneer Pet Products, Llc Pet fountain diffuser

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
ATE415086T1 (de) 2008-12-15
ES2318509T3 (es) 2009-05-01
WO2006001042A1 (en) 2006-01-05
DE602005011244D1 (de) 2009-01-08
ITVR20040111A1 (it) 2004-09-29
EP1686848B1 (de) 2008-11-26
US20080156272A1 (en) 2008-07-03
JP2008504813A (ja) 2008-02-21
EP1686848A1 (de) 2006-08-09

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